500 Murray Ross Parkway

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 4 × C65 Dual-Mode Capstone Microturbines and controller
• Annual Generation: >2 Million kWh/year
• Energy Savings: >$200,000 / year in reduced utility expenditures
• Thermal Integration: 1.72 MMBtu/hr of hot water
• Compliance & Backup: CSA C282-compliant for emergency life-safety loads


The Challenge
Managing high-density multi-family real estate - such as this 19-floor, 390-unit residential property in Toronto - requires tight control over operational expenditures, especially when heat and domestic hot water are included in tenant rent. Relying exclusively on grid power exposed the asset to rising electricity tariffs, while traditional diesel emergency generators represented non-revenue-generating, high-maintenance capital. Having experienced success on prior developments, this Canadian-owned REIT sought a low-maintenance, repeat solution to curb utility spending, capture high-grade heat, and act as a reliable backup power plant for essential building operations.


The Solution
Building on a trusted operational partnership, Veristar Energy engineered and deployed a 260 kW Combined Heat & Power system featuring four dual-mode C65 microturbines.
• Continuous Onsite Generation: Generates over 2,000 MWh of continuous electricity annually, taking direct control of energy supply to offset high-cost grid purchases and hedge against tariff increases.
• Thermal Heat Recovery: Recovers 1,720,000 BTU/hr of waste heat in the form of hot water, supplementing central hydronic heating loops and drastically reducing natural gas purchases for tenant heating and domestic hot water.
• Auto-Transfer Resilience: Features continuous dual-mode controls that automatically isolate from the utility grid during a power outage, seamlessly supplying electricity to critical emergency loads.
• Code Compliance: Designed and engineered to meet Canada's strict CSA C282 emergency life-safety standard, replacing traditional backup diesel gensets with a continuous, revenue-generating energy asset.


The Results
• $200,000 Annual Savings: Significantly lowers operating costs across 390 units, protecting profit margins on all-inclusive rental structures.
• Ultra-Low O&M Overhead: Employs single-moving-part, air-bearing microturbines that eliminate regular oil changes and mechanical wear typical of reciprocating engines.
• Maximum Operational Uptime: Multi-engine, four-bay configuration allows individual units to undergo routine service without bringing down the entire energy system, maintaining near 100% availability.
• Proven Portfolio Standardization: Validates the repeatable business case for onsite CHP, turning mandatory emergency power requirements into a high-ROI financial asset across the client's asset portfolio.